After reading the book, "Diets Don't Work
Well that was my question. So I began to pay attention and I'm working on a list.
There are many sites on the web that discuss how thin people behave differently from overweight people. But they don't get at the thoughts behind the behavior. What I wanted to know was how thin people thought differently.
Now this list is neither orderly or complete and will be updated as I find new examples. It also has some odds and ends and some ways of thinking you might not want to incorporate. But I wanted to include everything I discovered naturally thin people thinking that might be different from what naturally overweight people think to show how differently they view food. These are actual thoughts I've observed from friends and family.
If you have a naturally thin person around, pay attention to how they relate to food. Ask them why they do what they do with it and see if you can find the thought or belief behind that behavior. Please feel free to add your comments.
1. "I don't eat bread because it leaves me feeling too bloated."
Most overweight people don't know what "bloated" is or may associate feeling bloated with feeling "full". Some prefer to feel bloated because this is the only time they feel satiated. Thin people dislike this feeling and will stop eating to avoid it.
2. "I don't like ice cream."
Thin people actually dislike foods that are too sweet or rich. I've actually developed a dislike of ice cream because it's too sugary and hasn't much actual flavor. I became aware of paying attention to flavor and preferring a small bite of something very flavorful over large amounts of something bland when I read "French Women Don't Get Fat".
3. "I ate too much. I'd better eat lighter for dinner (or skip dinner)."
Overweight people usually think, "I blew my diet so I might as well go crazy and start again tomorrow/next week/next month". And the idea of skipping a meal is just out of the question. Thin people obviously think about it very differently.
4. "We're going out for dinner tonight at my favorite restaurant. I'd better skip lunch to save room."
Skipping a meal is simply out of the question for the naturally overweight.
5. "I'm hungry, but there's nothing I want to eat right now. I'll wait until I get home/I have time to drop by my favorite restaurant/I can go to the grocery store).
The naturally overweight cannot imagine enduring hunger pains while waiting for the right moment or going to get the food they really want. For some reason hunger is intolerable for overweight folks and very tolerable for the naturally thin.
6. "I forgot to to eat today."
Thin people become engrossed with things other than food. They can get so interested in their work, their art, their friends or other activities that they forget to eat.
7. "I'm too tired to eat."
Thin people find eating to be a chore at times (can you imagine?) and may even find it to be too much of a hassle to bother with. Sleep is more important.
8. "I don't like popcorn at the movies because it gets my hands greasy."
Thin people have other values (being clean for instance) that override their desire for food.
9. "I can't eat any more. I'm full."
I then watched this person pack up a little bit of food for leftovers that I would have finished eating because it was too small to wrap up. This little bit of food was eaten on another day and that small amount was "just right" to keep them from being hungry (versus stuffing them).
10. "I think I'll have a catnap."
This was when a friend hadn't slept well the night before and felt the afternoon blahs. This was during a time when everyone was contemplating a cappuccino or other caffeine "hit" to battle their fatigue. Instead, the thin person did what their body was actually requesting - gave it a nap.
11. "I want dessert first so I am sure to have room."
This was from a friend at a restaurant famous for their desserts. And she did order and taste dessert first to determine whether to leave room for it or not.
Can you add any more?